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    COVER STORY                                                        FEBRUARY 13, 2026       |  The Indian Eye                    5

            sons and daughters. I stand with you                                                                  Recent disclosures by US agencies on
            shoulder to shoulder, and the world                                                                   “Operation Meltdown,” a crackdown
            is ready to welcome your talents,” he                                                                 on illegal online pharmacies linked to
            said,  framing  trade  liberalisation  as                                                             an India-based syndicate, highlighted
            an opportunity for aspiration rather                                                                  growing coordination between Indian
            than a threat.                                                                                        and American authorities.
            Boosting India’s Global Image                                                                             US agencies, including the FBI,
                                                                                                                  have  acknowledged  that  “coopera-
                  he  India–US  trade  deal  also                                                                 tion from Indian government agen-
                  carries  symbolic  weight  at  a                                                                cies has grown significantly” over the
            Ttime  when  the  global  order                                                                       past six months. Such collaboration,
            is in flux. Modi told Parliament that                                                                 though  often  low-profile,  reinforces
            the world is “rapidly moving towards                                                                  mutual trust—an intangible but vital
            a new global order” and that India’s                                                                  ingredient  for  sustained  economic
            stature  is  rising  accordingly.  “As  a                                                             partnership.
            Vishwamitra and Vishwabandhu, In-                                                                         At  home,  the  Reserve  Bank  of
            dia has emerged as a trusted partner                                                                  India  has  also  linked  trade  agree-
            for many countries,” he said.                                                                         ments with macroeconomic stability.
                This  perception  has  been  rein-                                                                RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said
            forced by the international reaction                                                                  the India–EU FTA and the prospec-
            to  India’s  recent  trade  diplomacy.                                                                tive India–US deal “will support ex-
            According  to  the  Prime  Minister,                                                                  ports over the medium term,” even
            when India signed the EU deal, “the                                                                   as  geopolitical  uncertainties  per-
            world became more confident about                                                                     sist.  The  central  bank  revised  GDP
            the greater likelihood of global sta-                                                                 growth  projections  upward  for  the
            bility.”  After  the  US  deal,  he  said,                                                            first half of 2026–27, describing the
            confidence  deepened  further,  with   External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Washing-  Indian economy as being “in a good
            partners sensing not just stability but                                                               spot with strong growth and low in-
            momentum.                                       ton, DC, on Wednesday. (@DrSJaishankar/ANI Photo)     flation.”
                That assessment finds resonance                                                                     Reform, Performance, and
            in Washington as well. Margaret Ma-  (FORGE),  announced  at  the  inau-  This  convergence  is  particular-  Global Confidence
            cLeod,  the  US  State  Department’s   gural  Critical  Minerals  Ministerial   ly relevant as both countries seek to
            Hindustani spokesperson, described   in Washington, places it firmly within   reduce dependence on disrupted or   n his speeches, Modi repeatedly
            the Free Trade Agreement as “just a   this emerging architecture.   politically  sensitive  supply  chains.   contrasted the current phase with
            step in our long journey ahead,” but   External  Affairs  Minister  S   For India, it also aligns with domestic  Iwhat he described as past inertia.
            acknowledged that it reflects growing   Jaishankar,  who  attended  the  min-  goals of expanding mining, refining,   “A significant part of our energy is be-
            strategic  alignment.  She  noted  that   isterial, described the discussions as   and  recycling  capacities—key  com-  ing spent on correcting the mistakes
            trade discussions have been accom-  “productive and outcome-oriented,”   ponents  of  industrial  growth  under   of the past,” he said, adding that the
            panied by high-level engagements on   highlighting the strategic importance   Viksit Bharat.          government  has  placed  strong  em-
            Quad cooperation, critical minerals,   of minerals in global supply chains.   A Broader Reset in India–US   phasis  on  “future-ready  policies.”
            and  broader  geopolitical  coordina-  His bilateral meetings with US Sec-     Relations              Guided  by  the  mantra  of  “reform,
            tion.                             retary  of  State  Marco  Rubio  and                                perform, transform,” he argued, In-
                For India, such acknowledgment   Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fur-  he trade deal also feeds into a   dia  has  boarded  what  he  called  the
            strengthens  its  image  as  a  reliable   ther  underscored  how  trade  is  now   wider  reset  in  India–US  rela-  “Reform Express.”
            economic and strategic partner—an   intertwined with technology, finance,  Ttions that extends into law en-  The India–US trade deal, viewed
            image that New Delhi has worked to   and geopolitics.               forcement and security cooperation.   through  this  lens,  becomes  not  just
            rebuild, as Modi pointedly remarked,                                                                  an economic arrangement but a sig-
            after what he described as decades of                                                                 nal—to investors, partners, and do-
            policy drift and under-execution.                                                                     mestic  stakeholders—that  India  is
                Trade as a Gateway to                                                                             serious  about  long-term  integration
                Strategic Cooperation                                                                             with the global economy.
                                                                                                                      As the Prime Minister summed
                   ne of the most consequential                                                                   it up, “We believe 140 crore Indians
                   aspects of the India–US deal                                                                   are  140  crore  solutions.”  By  align-
            Ois how it spills over into non-                                                                      ing  trade  policy  with  strategic  part-
            trade domains. US officials have ex-                                                                  nerships and domestic reform, New
            plicitly linked economic engagement                                                                   Delhi appears intent on turning that
            with cooperation on critical minerals,                                                                belief into a global proposition.
            supply  chain  resilience,  and  securi-                                                                  Whether  the  deal  ultimately
            ty-related industries.                                                                                delivers  its  full  promise  will  de-
                MacLeod  said  the  US  is  en-                                                                   pend  on  implementation  and  fol-
            gaging  with  more  than  55  nations                                                                 low-through.  But  as  India  enters
            to  ensure  “a  smooth,  resilient  and                                                               what  Modi  has  called  a  decisive
            trusted  supply  chain,”  particularly                                                                era, the India–US trade agreement
            for  minerals  essential  to  defence,                                                                stands as one of the clearest mark-
            energy,  and  advanced  manufactur-                                                                   ers yet of how economic diploma-
            ing. India’s support for the Forum on   Union Minister Piyush Goyal played a crucial role in negotiations with the US team (ANI)  cy is being harnessed to power the
            Resource, Geostrategic Engagement                                                                     journey toward Viksit Bharat.

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